The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Agitators attack college, ATM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 27, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Agitators attack college, ATM

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, JULY 26. Youths, agitating against the Government stand on the self-financing college issue, today attacked the School of Communication and Management Studies (SCMS), Kalamassery, and a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM at Muvattupuzha.

Over a dozen Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) activists intruded into the District Education Officer's (DEO) office and staged a sit-in inside her room. The police took them into custody. Another group of agitators disrupted the admission procedure, which was on for the management quota at the Medical Mission Hospital, Kolencherry.

AISF, AIYF involved

All-India Students Federation (AISF) and All-India Youth Federation (AIYF) activists allegedly carried out the attack on SCMS and the ATM.

The attack on the SCMS took place at around 12.15 p.m. The protesters who came in a car and a bike jumped over the locked gate of the institution, threatened the security guard and disconnected the telephone placed in the cabin.

Only the security guard and the crew of a Malayalam TV channel were present at the spot when the incident took place.

They broke windowpanes on the ground floor, poured oil into the computer lab and destroyed the glass panes of the notice boards and a water cooler.

College sources said that the attack was carried out by a 10-member gang. The Kalamassery Police have registered a case. The institution will remain closed on Tuesday too.

The director of the institution, G.P.C. Nayar, who is also the president of the Kerala Self-Financing Engineering College Managements' Association, said that it would be difficult for educational institutions to function under such circumstances.

Demonstrations

Around 40 activists of the AISF and the AIYF took out a procession in Muvattupuzha town in the afternoon.

They poured engine oil over SBI's ATM at the SNDP Junction. Ten persons have been taken into custody in connection with the incident. The Students Federation India also staged a demonstration in the town. Democratic Youth Federation of India activists took out a march from Ernakulam North to the Kanayanoor taluk office in the morning.

Leaders' protest

The AIYF district secretary, K.N. Sugathan, and the AISF district president, T.C. Sajith, protested against the police action on the agitators.

They said that the AISF and AIYF would take out protest marches in the district on Tuesday. Mr. Sugathan said that the Kothamangalam police took 10 AISF-AIYF leaders into custody on Monday.

Congress flays violence

Left parties should take the responsibility of the deteriorating law and order in the State, as the ongoing agitation was based on non-existing reasons, said the KPCC vice-president, A.C. Jose, here today.

Speaking to mediapersons at the Press Club, Mr. Jose said that the Government should not be directly held responsible for the incidents like the suicide of the engineering student. Setting Government vehicles on fire and obstructing Ministers were meaningless protests, he said.

The DCC president, K.P. Dhanapalan, who was also present, sought a judicial inquiry into the role of a student leader in the death of Soumya Vasudevan, a law student who committed suicide in the city recently.

Mr. Jose said that action should be initiated against college managements that failed to comply with the law.

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